Line-finder system.



A. E. LUNDELL.

LINE FINDER SYSTEM.

APPLICATiON FILED JUNE 27. 1916.

Patented Nov. 2?, i917.

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UNITED %TATES PATENT ALBEN E. LUNDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 1'0WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LINEFINDER SYSTEM.

mama/c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, rare.

Application filed June 27, 1916. Serial No. 106,125.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBEN E. LUNDELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Line-Finder Systems, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric switching systems, and especially toline finders capable of use in telephone systems.

The principal object of this invention is to effect movement of a linefinder at high speed until its brushes are within a certain distance ofthe terminals of a desired line and then to change to slow speed toaccurately select and associate the finder with the desired line.

In previous practice it has been found necessary to limit the number ofcontacts in a bank to a number such that the contact set could travelover them in a reasonably short Another object of this invention is,therefore, to attain such rapidity of movement that larger sized contactbanks can be successfully utilized with consequent saving due to thereduction in the number of such banks, together with the apparatusindividual thereto, necessary in a given installation. v

In operation, the calling party removes his receiver, whereupon anallotted line finder has its contact set moved upwardly at high speeduntil within a few terminals of the terminals of the calling line, atwhich time a relay is automatically operated to cut ofi the high speedmovement and allow the contact set to be advanced at a slower speed. Thecontact set then moves slowly into association'with the terminals of thecalling line, upon which it then stops and is held until conversationhas been completed, at which time suitable means are automaticallyoperated to return the contact set to normal.

- Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows diagrammatically oneembodiment of the present invention as applied to a telephone system,only so much of the circuit as is necessary to extend the talkingcircuit through the line finder being shown.

In this arrangement, a certain number of line finders are assigned to agroup of lines, which lines are multipled to terminals of all such linefinders, and also to other terminals to allow connection as calledlines.

The line finders assigned to such group of lines may be controlled by anallotter which operates so that but one of the line finders is ready atany one time to start on receipt of a call. The allotter feature,however, forms no part of the present invention and, accordingly, only asingle line finder is shown.

In the drawing, a subscribers set 2, which belongs to one of a certaingroup of lines, is shown connected by conductors 3 and 4t to terminals 5and 6 in a terminal bank 7 of a line finder switch allotted thereto.Conductors 8 and a will be multipled to terminals of other line finders.Each line has a set of four terminals individual thereto in contact bank7. For example, the subscribers set 2 has the line terminals 5 and 6 andother terminals 8 and 9, the terminal 8 being associated with a cut-ofirelay 10 individual to that line by a conductor 11, while the terminal 9has a conductor 12 extending to the front contact of the right-handarmature of a line relay 13. Upon the energization of the line relay 18,ground is put on the terminal 9. Terminals 9 belonging to other lines ofthe group are arranged in a vertical row and are all connected to theconductor 12 of the adjacent terminal 9 by resistances 14, in series.The operation of the line relay 13 will put ground on the line thusformed at the contact 9 of the line calling.

The line finder has a contact set 15 comprisin four contact brusheswhich move over the contacts of the bank 7. The contact set is mountedon a supporting rod 16 having a flat bar 17 secured to the lower endthereof. The rod 16 with its contact set is moved upwardly at high speedby a high speed rotary power drum 18 with which the bar 17 is engagedwhen a magnet 19 is energized, and pulls up its armature 20 to carry anidler pulley 21 thereon against the bar 17 to force it into engagementwith the power drum 18. Another rotary power drum 22 is provided to movethe rod up- I wardly at a slower rate of speed to secure accurateassociation of the contact set with the terminals of the calling line.Engagement of the bar 17 with the power drum 22 is controlled by amagnet 23 having an armature 24 carrying an idler pulley to engage withthe bar 17 and force it into contact with said power drum. 22. A.holding pawl 26 permits the bar 17 to move upwardly and normally holdsit against downward movement. Downward movement of the contact set 15 isaccomplished by a downward drive rotary power drum 27 with which the bar17 is engaged upon energization of a magnet 28 which pulls up itsarmature 29 and carries an idler pulley 30 into engagement with the bar17 to force it into contact with the drum 27. The armature 29 has anextension 3] which engages the holding pawl 26 to withdraw the same fromthe bar 17 on actuation of the magnet 28, thus returning the contact setto normal. The rod 16 carries a brush 32 which is connected to groundand which moves with said rod to wipe over contacts on a commutatorblock 33. A contact 31 is provided on this block and the brush 32engages therewith when the contact set and rod are in their normalposition.

Relays 35 and 36 arranged in series are provided to control the magnets19 and 23 of the updrive mechanism. Both relays are marginal and therelay 35 is so constructed that when in series with the relay 36 it willnot pull up through more than three or four of the resistances 14 inseries, while relay 36 when in series with relay 35 will not pull up solong as a single resistance 14 is in its circuit. Assuming that themagnet 19 is energized and the relay 35 pulls up, the circuit of magnet19 will be broken, but at the same time a circuit would be closed forthe magnet which would remain energized until the relay 36 pulled up,whereupon upward movement would cease.

The controlling circuits associated with the various parts of the systemwhich must he established in a definite order at successive stages ofthe operation of the system to bring the various devices or parts intooperation as required, are preferably established by an automaticsequence switch 40. The sequence switch shown has an operating magnet 41to engage a clutch plate 12 with a power driven disk 13. Clutch plate 42is rotated by a power drive disk 13 to rotate the contacts 1-1 to 19,inclusive, mounted on a shaft moving with the clutch plate 42. Thesecontacts are closed in the positions indicated by the adjacent numbers.A con-. tact 50 is also provided for the sequence switch which is openonly in the positions of the switch indicated above said contact.

In operation, the calling subscriber removes his receiver, whereupon theline relay 13 individual to that line is energized over a circuit fromgrounded battery, left-hand winding of relay 13, outer armature and backcontact of relay 10, conductor 51, subscribers set 2, conductor 52,inner armature and back contact of relay 10, and right-hand winding ofrelay 13, to ground. Relay 13, in pulling up, operates through itsgrounded right-hand armature to put ground on all,

- the. bank 7,

the test contacts 9 and grounds the lines containing the resistances 14at the conductor 12 individual to the calling line. At the lefthandarmature of relay 13, a circuit is completed from ground, left-handarmature and front contact of relay 13, conductor 53 (which may extendthrough an allotter, not shown, to the allotted line finder), contact 49(1), conductors 54, 55, power magnet 4-1, to grounded battery. (onductor53 is conimon to all the lines in its group. In describing a circuitpassing thrmigh a sequence switch contact. the number in brackets afterthe reference character of the contact represents the position of thesequence switch at that stage of operation. The actuation of thesequence switch on the energization of the power magnet 11, as abovedescribed, moves its contacts to second position, whereupon a circuitfor the magnet 19 of the high speed updrive drum 18 is completed. Thiscircuit extends from ground, contact 46 (2), armature and back contactof relay 36, armature and back contact of relay 35. conductor 56, magnet19, conductors 57, 58, to grounded battery. Magnet 19, in pulling up theidler pulley 21, forces the bar 17 into engagement with the high speeddrum 18 which moves the contact set 15 over the contactbank 7 at highspeed. As soon as the brush set reaches the first set of terminals in acircuit is completed from grounded battery, relay 36, conductor 59,relay 35, conductor (30, contact 45 (2), conductor (i1. outer left-handbrush of the contact set 15, lowest contact 9 through resistances 14- inseries to the conductor 12 of the calling line, thence over conductor12, front contact and right-hand armature of relay 13, to ground. Relays35 and 36 do not pull up, however, as the resistance of the circuit istoo great. The brush set continues to move upward and for each set ofterminals passed, one of the resistances 13 is cut out of the circuitpreviously traced. By the time the brush set comes within three or fourterminals of the calling line, the resistance has been so reduced thatthe relay 35 pulls up, breaking the circuit traced for the magnet 19 andclosing a circuit for the magnet 23. Magnet 23 pulls up to put thecontact set under the control of the slow speed updrive drum 22. Thecircuit for the magnet 23 extends from ground, contact 413 (2), armatureand back contact of relay 36, a rn'iature and front contact of relay3?), conductor (33, magnet 23, conductor 58, to grounded battery. Thecontact moving slowly continues to cut out resistances 14 until itarrives on the terminals of the called line, when none of theresistances 14 are included in the circuit previously traced. Relay 36thereupon pulls up, breaking the circuit for the magnet 23 and leavingthe contact set on the terminals of the desired line where they are heldby the holding pawl 26.

Should the called line have its terminals arranged within three or fourterminals of the bottom of the bank, the contact set would not move athigh speed, since in this case the marginal relay 35 would pull upbefore the contact set moved, so that only the slow speed magnet wouldbe energized to move the contact set 15 directly to-the desired terminal9 as previously described.

\Vhen the relay 36 pulls up, it completes a circuit to actuate thesequence switch 40, this circuit extending from ground, contact to (2),armature and front contact of relay 86, conductors 64, 55, magnet 41, togrounded battery. The sequence switch, upon moving out of the secondposition, but before reaching its third position, closes the contact 44completing a circuit from grounded battery, resistance 65, contact 44(29;), conductor 66, inner left'hand brush of the contact set 15,terminal 8, conductor 11, and cut-off relay 10, thereby causing thisrelay to pull up and defenergize the line relay 13 of the calling lineand taking ground off the conductor 12 individual thereto.

Upon moving out of the second position, the circuit for the power magnet41 of the sequence switch 40 is closed until the sequence switch reachesposit-ion I-t through a circuit extending from ground, contact 50,conductor magnet l1, to grounded battery. In passing position 3, thecontacts 47 and 48 are closed and remain so until the sequence switchleaves the sixteenth position. The closing of these contacts extends theline of the calling subscriber through the line finder.

Battery may be supplied to the cord circuit shown through a repeatingcoil 69, and

relays 70 and 71 could be placed in the line on either side thereof andused to control supervisory signals. These features, however, form nopart of the present invention and any suitable circuits may be used forcontrolling succeeding apparatus.

Talking would take place while the sequence switch 40 is inthe'fourteenth position. Upon the termination of the conversation, anydesired means may be used to bring about disconnection of the finderswitch, a disconnect key 72 being shown for the sake of simplicity. Infull automatic telephone systems, instead of a key 72 being used toclose a circuit to the sequence switch in the fourteenth position, meansactuated by the relays of the selectors or connectors would be providedto put ground on the conductor 73. As here shown, the key 72 is underthe control of an operator and is actuated when the supervisory signalscontrolled by the relays and 71 indicate that disconnection is desired.Closing the key 72 completes a circuit for the power magnet 41 of thesequence switch tomove the-same, the circuit extending from ground, key72, conductor 73, contact -t9 (let), conductors 54, 55, magnet 4.1, togrounded battery. Upon moving out of the fourteenth posi tion, contact50 holds the circuit of the magnet 41 closed until the switch reachesthe eighteenth position. .lu passing the sixteenth position, thecontacts 44, 47 and 48 are opened, decnergizing the cut-off relay to andopening the talking circuit. The sequence switch would stop in theeighteenth position, in which position the down drive magnet 28 would beenergized to disengage the holding pawl 26 from bar 17, and engage thebar with the down drive drum 27 to restore the brush set to normal. Thiscircuit extends from ground, contact 46 (18), conductor 74, magnet 28,to grounded battery, The supporting rod 16 upon reaching normal wouldposition the brush 32 carried thereby in engagement with the contact 34of the commutator block '53, completing a circuit for the power magnet41 of the sequence switch 40 to move the same to position 1. Thiscircuit extends from ground, brush 32, contact 34, conductor 75, contact49 (18), conductors 5 c, 55, n'iagnet 41, to grounded battery. Inv thefirst and normal position,'the line finder is idle and ready forassociation with a calling line of it s group.

While the invention is shown as applied in a panel type switch system,it is obvious that it is applicable to other types of switches forexample, to a rotary switch systeu'i. l lll'tlltlll'l0Y0, this systemwhile shown as applied to a tinder switch is also capable of applicationin other situations, for example, in a selector switch. in which case anidle terminal ready to be seized might be represented by ground thereon.Such applications are. considered within the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a movablecontact to engage any of said terminals, means to move said contact atdifferent speeds to engage any desired terminal, and means responsive tothe ap' iroacl'i to a desired terminal for automat' :ally changing thespeed of said contact.

2. In an electric switching system, a plurality of tGI'lTllIltllS, amovable contact to engage any of said terminals, means to movesaidcontact at different speeds to engage any desired terminal, and means toautomatically change the speed of said contact when within a certaindistance of and shortly prior to said contact reaching said desiredterminal.

3. In an electric switching system, a plu' rality of terminals, amovable contact to engage any of said terminals, means to move saidcontact in one direction at different; speeds to engage any desiredterminal, and means to automatically change the speed of said contactwhen within a certain distance of a desired terminal.

at. In an electric switch, a plu'ality of tern'iinals, a movable contactto engage any of said terminals, means to move said contact in the samedirection toward engagement with any desired terminal at a high and at alower speed, and means responsive to the approach to any desiredterminal for automatically changing the speed of said contact to saidlower speed.

5. In an electric switch, a plurality of terminals, a movable contact toengage any of said terminals. means to move said contact in the samedirection toward engagement with any desired terminal at a high and at alower speed, and means to automatically change the speed of said contactto said lower speed when said contact is within-a certain distance of adesired terminal.

(3. In an electric switch, a plurality of terminals,a movable contact toengage any of said terminals, means to move said contact in the samedirection toward engagement with any desired terminal at a high and at alower speed, and means to automatically change the speed of said contactto said lower speed when said contact is within four terminals of thedesired terminal.

7. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a movablecontact to engage any of said terminals, means to move said contact atdifferent speeds to engage any desired terminal, and means toautomatically provide movement at lon'ly one speed when a desiredterminal is located within a certain distance of the normal position ofsaid contact.

8. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a movablecontact to engage any desired terminal, means to move said contact athigh speed, means to move said contact at a lower speed, means to distinguish a desired terminal, said contact being moved at high speed assoon as the desired contact is distinguished, and means responsive tothe approach of said contact to the desired terminal to dissociate saidcontact from said high speed means and associate it for movement withsaid lower speed means.

9. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable over said terminals to engage any desired terminal, resistanceassociated between adjacent terminals, a circuit normally including saidresistance, means to ground said circuit at any desired terminal, meansto move said contact at different speeds, and means included in saidcircuit operating under a certain resistance to change the speed of saidcontact, said contact reducing the resistance of said circuit in passingover said terminals.

10. In an electric switching system, a plurality of adjacent terminals,a contact movable over said terminals to engage any desired terminal,resistance associated with said terminals and between said adjacentterminals thereof, a circuit normally including said resistance, meansto ground said circuit at any desired terminal, means to move saidcontact at different speeds, means included in said circuit operatingunder a certain resistance to change the speed of said contact, andmeans included in said circuit operating to stop said contact on adesired terminal, said contact reducing the resistance of said circuitin passing over said terminals.

11. In an electric switching device, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable over said terminals to engage any desired terminal, conductorsextending from said terminals, a resistance between said conductors, acircuit including said resistance, means to ground any desired terminaldirectly through its conductor, means to move said contact at differentspeeds, means included in said circuit operating under a certainresistance to change the speed of said contact, and means included insaid circuit operating when said circuit extends through a de siredterminal to stop said contact on said terminal.

'12. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, acontact movable over said terminals to engage any desired terminal,conductors extending from said terminals, a resistance between saidconductors, a circuit including said resistance, means to ground anydesired terminal directly through its conductor, means to move saidcontact at high and low speeds, means included in said circuit operatingunder a certain resistance to associate said contact for movement at lowspeed, and means included in said circuit operating when said circuitextends through a desired terminal to stop said contact on saidterminal.

13. In an electric switching device, a plurality of terminals, movablecontacts to engage any desired terminal, means to move the contact atdifferent speeds, resistance associated with said terminals, a circuitineluding said resistance, means to change the resistance of saidcircuit, means to change the speed of said contact controlled by theresistance of said circuit, said last named means operating to changethe speed of said contact when it approaches a desired terminal.

14:. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, amovable contact to engage any desired terminal, means to move thecontact at different speeds, a resistance associated with saidterminals, a circuit inaaaaeve eluding said resistance, means to changethe resistance of said circuit, and means controlled by the resistanceof said circuit to change the speed of said contact, said last namedmeans operating to move the contact at a lower speed when it approachesa desired terminal.

15. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable over said terminals to'engage any desired terminal, resistancebetween adjacent terminals, a circuit including said resistance, meanscontrolled by said circuit to control the speed of said contact, meansto cut out part of said resistance as the contact moves toward a desiredcontact, said means controlled by said circuit being operated to changethe speed of said contact when the circuit has less than a certainresistance.

16. In an electric switching system, a. plurality of terminals, acontact movable to engage any desired terminal, means to move saidcontact at high speed, a circuit to operate said means, means to movesaid contact at a lower speed, a circuit to operate said last namedmeans, a relay controlling said circuits, and means to operate saidrelay to eiiect change of speed of said contact when it is within acertain distance of a desired terminal and before said terminal isreached.

17. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable to engage any desired terminal, means to move said contact athigh speed, a circuit to oper ate said means, means to move said contactat a lower speed, a circuit to operate said last named means, a relay tocontrol said circuits, said relay operating when said contact approachesa desired terminal to change the speed of said contact, and anotherrelay controlling said high speed and said low speed means, said lastnamed relay operating to stop further movement of said contact when saidcontact engages a desired terminal.

18. In an electric switching system, a plurality of adjacent terminals,a contact movable over said terminals to engage any desired terminal,resistance associated with said terminals and between adjacent terminalsthereof, a circuit normally including said resistance, means to groundsaid circuit at any desired terminal, means to move said contact atdifferent speeds, said contact reducing the resistance of said circuitin moving over said terminals, a relay included in said circuit operableto change the speed of said contact when the resistance of the circuitis reduced to a certain amount, and another relay in said circuit tostop further movement of said contact when the resistance of saidcircuit is reduced to an even smaller amount.

19. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable to engage any desired terminal, means to move said contact atdifferent speeds, circuits to control said means, a relay controllingsaid circuits to eitect change of speed, and a relay in series with saidfirst named relay to control said circuits to stop movement of saidcontact.

20. In an electric switching system, a plurality of terminals, a contactmovable over said terminals to engage any desired termi nal, resistanceassociated between adjacent terminals, a circuit normally including saidresistance and said movable contact, means to ground said circuit at anydesired terminal, means to move said contact at difierent speeds, saidcontact reducing the resistance of said circuit in moving over saidterminals, a marginal relay in said circuit operable to change the speedof said contact under a certain resistance condition of said circuit,and another marginal relay in said circuit operable to stop furthermovement of said contact under another resistance condition of saidcircuit.

21. In a telephone system, a. plurality of calling subscribers lines, aplurality of sets of terminals individual to each of said lines, meansoperated by the initiation of a call to distinguish the desiredterminals, a movable contact set to engage any desired set of terminals,means to move said contact set at different speeds to engage saidterminals, means associated with said contact set to extend said desiredline, and means to change the speed of said contact set when within acertain distance oi a desired set of terminals.

22. In a telephone system, a plurality of calling subsmibers lines, aplurality Of sets of terminals individual to said lines, means operatingupon the initiation of a call to change the condition of a terminalindividual to said line, a movable contact set to engage any desired setof terminals, means to move said contact set at different speeds, meansassociated with said cont-act set to extend any desired line, and meansto change the speed of said contact set when within a certain distanceof a terminal individual to a calling line to move said contact set atlower speed and associate it with said desired terminal.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of June,it. D., 1916.

ALBEN E. LUNDELL.

